'Not very democratic': Former B&NES Council chairman on University of Bath Court as pay inequality motion is passed

Councillor Alan Hale was the 2016-17 chair of Bath and North East Somerset Council (Image: Artur Lesniak/Trinity Mirror)

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A former chairman of the local authority said he thought a University of Bath committee was not ‘a very democratic organisation’.

The institution came under fire from councillors as they passed a motion expressing concern at its levels of pay inequality and that ‘reputational damage caused by constant negative press attention’ is a concern for Bath and North East Somerset Council.

A university spokesman said it focuses on ensuring it is ‘well run to deliver excellent teaching to our students, excellent research that solves real-world problems’.

The 25-point Labour motion was introduced by Councillor Joe Rayment (Twerton), noting the university’s ‘immense positive impact’ on the local economy but that it ‘does not operate in isolation and does impact on the council’.

He said: “This council is not just a stakeholder in the university in a fairly abstract way. It’s represented on the court, a governing body of the University of Bath.

“Public money should be spent in a democratic way. On a matter of pay, elected representatives can have a say on that.”

Councillor Alan Hale (Cons, Keynsham South), said: “It’s a private matter within the university but I fully accept all of the things he (Mr Rayment) said which have a knock-on effect on the city and perhaps our income overall.

“I had an occasion to go to the court (university advisory forum). I have to say I was amazed at how - choose my words very carefully - it didn’t seem a very democratic organisation.

“The chair seemed very dictatorial and to a great extent the anticipation was that everything would be cut and dry as they went through.”

Mr Hale’s comments were labelled “quite reasonable” by a member of the court and council, the University of Bath governing body.

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“The meeting of court earlier this year was unusual in that members of the university community dared to vocalise long held concerns about senior management pay and governance,” Dr Christopher Roche said.

“It clearly exposed an aspect of the university's management and governance culture to Councillor Hale and the other external members present.”

Councillors at the meeting on Thursday, November 9 had a free vote on the motion and a majority of those present endorsed it.

Councillor Patrick Anketell-Jones

The former cabinet member for economic development Councillor Patrick Anketell-Jones (Cons, Lansdown) was among the objectors.

He said: “I won’t support this motion but I would like to acknowledge that there is something in what Councillor Rayment says.

“It looks as if there’s a kind of moral vacuum at the upper levels of the university’s governance - but I think he’s being unrealistic.

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“Universities are now the drivers in the economy. They have become commodified, commercialised because their product is now what we’re selling right across the globe.

“This is going to go on with artificial intelligence, internet communications, big data. We’re only at the beginning of what the universities have to offer us in terms of an enormous economy that will grow and grow over the next century.

“This is essentially universities not just becoming centres of academic excellent but also big business and where you get big business you get fat cats.

Dame Glynis at the conclusion of this year's university council summit (Image: Artur Lesniak)

“I strongly suspect that this very high salary being paid to the vice-chancellor (Professor Dame Glynis Breakwell) is just the beginning of what will become a bit of a free-for-all in payments for the high quality research that is so valuable and can be sold to such a wide market.

“I think presenting it (this motion) to council is not going to change the course of history.”

Councillor Chris Watt (Cons, Midsomer Norton Redfield) said the issues raised were ‘fundamentally a matter for the university’.

“It’s a bit rich to say you can Google the University of Bath and see all the negative publicity that comes up, given that you’re responsible for most of it,” he told Mr Rayment.

“But there were four of them who could have turned up and swung the vote the other way, but they didn’t because they’re flouncing around, banging on in Parliament about it.

“Spending a lot of time railing about what they’re doing creates a significant amount of negative publicity and I’m not sure if it’s the most appropriate approach to it.”

Robin Moss speaks after results for North East Somerset were reported during election night 2017 (Image: Artur Lesniak/Trinity Mirror)

Labour’s group leader Councillor Robin Moss (Westfield), who contested the North East Somerset seat in the summer’s general election, said: “The publicity is actually bringing us all into disrepute.

“It’s not just the level of salary. I think it’s the issue of grace-and-favour homes, of housekeepers, of interest-free loans and the rest, would make anyone who wants to invest or pay money as a student think very clearly ‘Where’s my money going to go if I invest in, if I pay money to, if I look to partner with the University of Bath?’

“The surprise is that over the last year the university appear not to have tackled this issue and not to have understood just how greedy it makes their vice-chancellor look and how incompetent as governors their board of directors look.”

University comment

Aerial shot of the University of Bath

A university spokesman said: “Since our foundation in 1966 the university has always enjoyed a constructive relationship with the civic authorities in the city.

“The views of B&NES Council members are, of course, very important to the university and we will continue to listen to them and to our many other stakeholders.

“Universities are organisations independent of government and party politics. The governing body of the University of Bath, its council, has announced a full, independent and rigorous effectiveness review which will consider fully the operation of the remuneration committee to ensure it reflects developing best practice.

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“We note that the motion passed at the B&NES Council praised the leadership of the university and its many positive contributions to the local area.

“As the second largest employer in the Bath and North East Somerset area, the university employs more than 3,000 people and contributes significantly to the local economy, supporting a value added contribution of around £294 million to its GDP.

“Our focus as a university is to ensure we are well run to deliver excellent teaching to our students, excellent research that solves real-world problems and to continue to engage locally to benefit Bath and the wider region.”